… The unspoken truth, however, is that the punishment was intended for Trump … //

… Obama’s decision not only endangers ongoing diplomatic relations between Washington and Moscow, which are at an all time low, it also contributes to smearing the president-elect and quite deliberately undermining the transition process, namely the accession of Donald Trump to the White House.

Insanity prevails. Ultimately, the objective of this unsavoury decision by the outgoing president is to foreclose a shift in US foreign policy by president-elect Donald Trump, i.e. with a view to “normalizing” US-Russia relations.

In the immediate wake of Obama’s statements, the mainstream media with some exceptions has gone into high gear, once again targeting Donald Trump’s alleged ineptitude. In an earlier statement, (December 15), the NYT described Trump as a “useful idiot,”… an American president who doesn’t know he’s being played by a wily foreign power” … //

Moreover, there is another significant dimension surrounding the DNC email scandal which was never covered by the mainstream media. Bernie Sanders supporters initiated a class action lawsuit in Federal District Court in Florida against the DNC and the (former) DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz pointing to “fraud, negligent misrepresentation, deceptive conduct, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligence.” (Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced to resign following the release of the emails).

Turkey’s about-face, on Voltairenet.org, by Thierry Meyssan, Jan 3, 2017: President Vladimir Putin has announced that he has concluded a cease-fire agreement for Syria, with Turkey, which until now has been the main operational support for the jihadists. How may we explain this astonishing turn of events? Will President Erdogan be able to turn his country away from the influence of the United States and towards that of Russia? What are the causes and the consequences of this dramatic reversal?

Liberate Idleb after East Aleppo, on Voltairenet.org, by Thierry Meyssan, Dec 27, 2016: The liberation of East Aleppo marks the end of the attempt to overthrow the Syrian Arab Republic. It was only possible because of the abandon of Qatar and the partial change of position of Turkey. However, part of Syria is still occupied by jihadists in the service of NATO. The next military victories and the end of the war therefore depend on the secret negotiations which have just begun between the members of the Atlantic Alliance;